Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

About Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a small village primary in Dacorum, Hertfordshire, currently operating very close to its capacity of 105 pupils with 102 on roll. The school serves a relatively affluent catchment, with just 8.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, well below the national average. Demand is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 26 applications for 15 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.73, and all 14 first-preference applicants were offered a place. This suggests a school that local families are actively choosing, likely drawn by its Church of England character and its reputation in the area. The school also offers nursery provision for children from age three, which may be a practical draw for local families looking for continuity from early years through to Year 6.

Academically, Little Gaddesden is a standout performer in its local authority. In the 2023/24 KS2 assessments, every single pupil met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of just 64%. The school also achieved strong results at the higher standard: 43% of pupils reached the higher level in reading, 43% in maths, and 29% in writing. Average scaled scores were 109 in reading and 110 in maths, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. These results place the school first out of 47 primary schools in Dacorum, and 16th nationally out of 13,686 schools. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024, the school was judged Good across all areas, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This represents a change from its previous Outstanding rating in 2014, but the inspection team noted no concerns with leadership or outcomes.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a library, ICT suite, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports provision includes football, cricket, rounders, dance and cross country, while clubs cover drama, book club and choir. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provision for specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, physical disability and social, emotional and mental health needs. Parent feedback from the most recent survey period was broadly positive: 91% of respondents would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed that children are happy, feel safe, and that the school has high expectations. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes in a small, Church of England village setting, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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